Active Time
35 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Channeling Parisian patisserie for your bake du jour? Give this French buttercream recipe a go. Unlike American buttercream (a simple blend of creamed butter and powdered sugar) French buttercream can be slightly fussy. Both extremely light and exceedingly silky, it falls into the same family as meringue-based Swiss and Italian meringue buttercreams. The crucial difference is that French buttercream is made with whole eggs—egg whites and yolks, but mostly yolks—whipped with hot sugar syrup into a concoction known as pâte à bombe. The result is a buttercream with more body than its brethren, a brighter yellow hue, and an extra-rich, custardy taste.
A candy thermometer is nonnegotiable here; the sugar syrup must reach an exact temperature (230°F) for the buttery frosting to achieve the right texture. Use cold, not room temperature, butter for this frosting recipe; the cold butter will best emulsify for a shiny, smooth end product. It’s essential to add the butter piece by piece—if you dump it in all at once, the butter won’t combine properly with the whipped egg yolks, and you’ll end up with a “broken” buttercream. You’ll be able to identify this easily—it’ll be a chunky, watery hot mess. If your buttercream does break, however, there is a fix: Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add more cold butter, piece by piece, until it comes back together.
Often used as a filling for macarons, French buttercream can also be used to sandwich cookies (try it with molasses cookies or oatmeal cookies), frost cupcakes, or paired with any of our favorite layer cake recipes. Feel free to add vanilla extract (or, better, the scraped seeds of a vanilla bean) or any other flavoring (instant coffee! Dutch cocoa! peanut butter! lemon curd!), or food coloring in the form of gels, powders, or pulverized freeze-dried fruit.
This recipe was adapted for style from ‘Robicelli’s: A Love Story, With Cupcakes,’ by Allison and Matt Robicelli. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Ingredients
Makes enough for 24 cupcakes or a 3-layer cake
Preparation
Step 1
Pour 1 cup water into a heavy nonreactive saucepan. Add 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. corn syrup, and ¼ tsp. cream of tartar. (The last two prevent the sugar from crystallizing.) Bring to a boil over high heat; continue to cook (you can swirl the pan occasionally, but do not stir!) until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 230°F, a.k.a. “soft ball stage.” (Be patient and keep your eye on it. Don’t go walking away and watching TV or something.)
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine 1 large egg plus 5 large egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and turn mixer to high speed. Yolk mixture will triple in volume, turn pale yellow, and go to “ribbon stage.” (You can’t overwhip!)
Step 3
When the sugar is ready, move quickly: Turn off the mixer and add ⅛ tsp. xanthan gum, turn back up to medium-low speed.
Step 4
Remove thermometer from (very hot!) sugar mixture. Lift with two hands. Rest the lip of the saucepan on the edge of the mixer bowl. With the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture. (Don’t go too fast, which may result in chunks of scrambled eggs in your buttercream.)
Step 5
Once sugar syrup is incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and whip until cool. (Gauge this by putting the inside of your wrist to the outside bottom of the bowl. It’s more accurate than your hands.)
Step 6
Switch out the whisk for the paddle attachment. Cut 6 sticks (1½ lb.) unsalted butter, cold, preferably European, into thin pieces (you could shave it with a cheese slicer if you’d like). Add butter to the egg yolk mixture piece by piece to make an emulsion. Once your butter is added, turn the mixer to medium-high to add some air until fluffy, 10–20 seconds at most.
Do Ahead: French buttercream frosting can be made 1 week in advance; refrigerate in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw buttercream at room temperature for 30 minutes and rewhip on medium speed.
Editor’s note: This French buttercream recipe first appeared on Epicurious in September 2013 alongside Allison and Matt Robicelli’s Tarte Bourdaloue and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cupcakes. Explore the wide world of buttercream with our recipes for American-style buttercream frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, Italian meringue buttercream, and German buttercream →
Leave a Review
Reviews (17)
Back to TopFor shriek's sake...the commentary is GREAT! Like I used to say to our kids, "NO FUSSING!" for those who entered negative comments. I am anxious to try this for the never-ending stream of visitors that come through our farm boutique, cheesemaking dairy and historical farm. Thanks for the recipe AND the comments. They are a piece of light hearted fun.
Allegra
Ångermanland, SWEDEN
8/21/2022
This is a question, not a review. Does pouring the hot sugar syrup into the eggs cook them enough to destroy salmonella? I believe the magic number is 160 degrees F.
Bay Area Lady
Bay Area, CA
2/22/2022
Anyone who does not use this (crème au buerre) or similar formula (e.g., meringue italienne) for buttercream to describe their frosting is a poser and knows or cares nothing about pastry other than to dupe the public with Crisco-based frostings and 10X sugar. There is no substitute for the unctuousness of butter. Bravo epicurious!
duspin
Boston, MA
9/7/2019
This is absolutely the best buttercream recipe ever!
Anonymous
Canada
4/6/2019
pastrieslikeapro.com has a recipe with no unusual ingredients, and with softened butter, so you can stick with the whisk attachment. Much easier.
Anonymous
Ohio
3/28/2019
Excellent recipe! Very similar to something my European parents and grandparents would make. LOVE the commentary as much as the recipe. Will certainly make again - and use the best butter you can afford - it makes a huge difference - trust the recipe. Many thanks! Naomie
baileyanddaisey
Castaic, CA
4/26/2017
I think this recipe is supposed to be 1 1/2 cups of butter, not pounds. Big difference! Had to throw mine out. Ick.
Patty772
Fargo, ND
3/3/2017
Great recipe, would definitely make over & over. For those who don't know what Xanthan Gum is: (P.S. If you can use the internet to find a receipt, then same applies to looking up the unknown ingredients listed...just saying) Xanthan Gum is a plant-based thickening and stabilizing agent. It is named for the bacteria, Xanthomonas campestris, which plays a crucial role in this description. Technically speaking, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, which is just a fancy way to say "a string of multiple sugars." To create xanthan gum, the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium is allowed to ferment on a sugar. The result is a gel that is then dried and milled to create the powder substance.
rosebud20
BC, Canada
10/27/2016
Surprisingly easy to make and wonderfully smooth. definitely a keeper.
yigenuren
Edmonton, AB
8/20/2015
Delicious and worth the effort.
catherineaustin
Denver, CO
6/12/2015
This is the best buttercream recipe I have ever made or tasted - bar none. Yes, it takes some time and an extreme amount of butter, but the end result is light, fluffy, creamy and utterly fantastic. Invest in high quality butter like Plugra and you won't be disappointed. I loved the commentary!
mtuminel
Chicago, IL
4/6/2015
Labor intensive. But fantastic. Used "only" one pound of butter and twelve ounces of lightly melted dark chocolate chips. We had a goopy sauce after 3/4 of a pound of butter, so put the mixer bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. Ta Da! Suddenly the rest of the butter incorporated smoothly, and we had a beautiful, fluffy, delicious product. We used it on a chocolate birthday cake that everyone enjoyed. And making this frosting turned into a great candy - making lesson for an eleven year old baker.
Azimat1
Panama City Beach, FL
3/31/2015
I have just made this buttercream and am delighted with the result it is creamy, rich and smooth can I ask how long this can be stored and how best to store it thanks
brandi64
UK
8/14/2014
Elegant and tres francaise!! I thought commentary was fun.
suziq5004
7/29/2014
Elegant recipe that might benefit from a quick edit to remove all but the ingredients and instructions. When followed exactly will speak for itself. Many cooks will know what to expect from just the instructions and the quantity of butter. French Buttercream simple yellow cake a few colored sprinkles candles = perfection.
alicekwhite
Lagune Beach, CA
4/10/2014
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